Smarterware

Unplug Your Laptop Regularly (When In Doubt)

A friend complained to me that after only two years, she had to replace her laptop's battery because it wouldn't hold a charge. I found myself telling her that she shouldn't keep her notebook computer plugged in continuously, because it would kill the battery faster. Then I stopped myself: Was this just outdated geek lore rendered obsolete by modern batteries?

Yes and no. It depends, of course, on what kind of battery you have. Battery technology has come a long way over the years, and surely in 2009 you don't have to worry about how long your laptop's been plugged in. However, one major notebook manufacturer (which ships Lithium-ion batteries) thinks you should, and suggests adding a reminder to your calendar to deplete and recharge your battery once a month. To quote: "Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time."

My friend, however, has a two-year-old Dell. Cursory Googling for her model didn't turn up the equivalent of Apple's definitive statement, only lots of opinions which ranged from "it's a non-issue" to "yes, it kills batteries!" Dell.com's battery recommendations page doesn't say anything about not keeping your notebook plugged in. HP's battery tips page doesn't answer the question, either. I pored through my wife's ASUS Eee PC user guide and didn't find any warning about continuous charging. A non-mention might make you think it's a non-problem, but if this is an issue for Apple notebook batteries, it is for PC notebooks with lithium-based batteries too. When I asked, my Twitter followers returned mixed replies, but many notebook users (both Mac and PC) DID report anecdotal battery problems when the machine was plugged in constantly.

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Why (and How) to Root Your Android Phone

I'm not dead. I've just moved into a new place where there is no internet connection yet, which is the equivalent of dead when you work and live online. Up until now I've resisted "rooting" my Android phone because I didn't want to go down the iPhone jailbreak road. (A major reason I have Android is so I don't have to jailbreak my device to get it to do something interesting!) But desperate times call for desperate measures. Living somewhere with no computer internet connection is a really good reason to root your Android phone. With a rooted phone, you can tether your Android device to your computer and get some internet love wherever you are. (There are quite a few other good reasons to root Android, too, not the least of which is speed boosts and early Donut access.)

If you're paying attention and reading the instructions, the rooting process isn't that difficult. I made the mistake of trying this out without my phone's USB cable (which was still packed away in some box) and in a loud sports bar during the first Chargers game of the season, with one eye on my screen and the other on my beer. Things didn't go so well. This morning I was able to finish up the process and get tethering working just fine. Here's what (and what NOT) to do when you root your Android phone.

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Snow Leopard Reports Hard Drive Capacity “Correctly” (in Base 10)

ZDNet reports that Snow Leopard has changed the way it calculates disk capacity from earlier versions of OS X: now it matches the advertised size of the drive you purchased it's actually accurate. When it's running Snow Leopard, your Mac shows you the same gigabyte count on your drives as appear on the manufacturer's box, calculated in base 10, and not in base 2, which is what Leopard, all earlier versions of OS X and all current and earlier versions of Windows uses. This Apple knowledge base article explains:

A 200 GB drive shows 200 GB capacity (for example, if you select the hard drive's icon and choose Get Info from the Finder's File menu, then look at the Capacity line). This means that, for example, if you upgrade from an earlier version of Mac OS X, your drive may show more capacity than in the earlier Mac OS X version.

My own tests confirm: a 4GB Cruzer thumb drive in my Snow Leopard Mac shows up with a capacity of 4.01GB. Leopard reports the same drive's capacity as 3.74GB. (Click to enlarge the screenshot on the right.)

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Configure Your Workspace for Maximum Efficiency

Just launched up a new blog over at HarvardBusiness.org called Work Smarter (RSS). Expect to find less nerd and more business in the posts I publish there compared to this site or Lifehacker. A new one will go up once a week.

My first post published yesterday on how to organize your workspace for maximum productivity. Having moved three times in the past four years, this has become my mental checklist when reassembling my desk.

I'm still finding my legs and meeting the audience over at Work Smarter, but I'm thrilled to be hanging out with the brilliant folks there, at least virtually.

(Please note: Actual Harvard University admissions people would laugh out loud if I'd applied there at any point in my academic career, so thanks to HarvardBusiness.org for letting me have a taste of the Ivy League fantasy.)

How to Save Your Keyboard After a Spill

As I was finishing up work last night, I accidentally knocked a half-full glass of Diet Coke over and got some in my keyboard. Argh! I shook it out and went on my way, but then this morning 7's and 8's were mysteriously inserting themselves into words, and the spacebar was only working intermittently.

A spill doesn't necessarily mean keyboard death, but resuscitation can take some elbow grease. Unplug the keyboard (or for wireless models, remove the batteries), break out the screwdriver and take that baby apart. It can take some time; my Logitech has at least two dozen screws holding it together. Lay out the pieces one by one and wipe them down with a slightly-damp cloth to get off any sticky residue. Use a dry paper towel to mop up drops. If you've got compressed air handy, this is a great time to blow out any dust, too.

When all the parts are dry as a bone, carefully reassemble them. All's well for me now; I'm typing this very post on the keyboard. Here are some photos of my keyboard's innards from this morning's clean-up.

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Repurpose Your Old iPod into a Travel Backup Drive

Over at Lifehacker this morning I had the chance to do a navel-gazing tour through my laptop bag and show off all the stuff I take with me when I travel. The only truly unusual item I carry is the first iPod I ever bought, back in 2003--a 20GB second-generation brick of a thing. The battery can no longer hold a charge long enough to serve as a portable music player, but it works just fine plugged in as a hard drive, so I use it as a backup drive while I'm on the road for more than a few days.

I hadn't taken this iPod out of its iSkin in years and looked at just how clunky it really is. Here are some more photos of this antique. (I really wasn't kidding about that whole Last Year's Model thing.)

My (Now Former) Home Office

Moved into a new apartment this weekend (hence the lack of posts recently) and I'm already missing my old home office. Just in time, Argentinian tech blog ALT1040 featured photos of it and my rather stock setup: the Ikea Jerker desk, MacBook Pro, iCurve, and Dell widescreen monitor. Commenters panned the photos ("Esta bastante feo"), but it's not really the stuff you use, it's how you use it, right? My new office is currently a jungle of boxes and desk parts, but reassembly is well under way. Rest assured I won't bore you with new pictures when it is.

Flaunt Last Year’s Model This Earth Day (and Every Day)

When you love technology, it's natural to lust after the latest gadgets and gear available on the market, even if what you've got already does everything you need. But if you decide not to give in and get that iPhone 3G or netbook, you can feel like you've fallen behind, like you're being cheap, like you're missing out. Truth is, passing on buying the newest model is a decision to brag about.

So I'm thrilled that my pal Anil Dash launched a new site this Earth Day called Last Year's Model, where technophiles can take pride in sticking with the gear they already own, even if it's been around for a year or two (or seven). While I'm guilty of running on the gadget consumer treadmill myself (Android phone and Kindle, anyone?), I'm happy that I've passed on the latest MacBook, a netbook, the Wii, and the iPhone 3G. Join me, will you? Tweet or blog a testimonial to the trusty gadget you passed on upgrading and include the #lastyears hash tag to get included on the site. See Anil's full announcement for more on Last Year's Model.

Yet Another GeekTool and Todo.txt Desktop Head-Up Display

Mac user Grant Lucas is putting the Todo.txt CLI and GeekTool to great use on his Mac, pictured above. (Click to enlarge, or check out the annotated Flickr page.) GeekTool affixes the output from command line scripts (and more) to your Mac desktop, so when everything is minimized, it's still visible. Starting at the top left corner and going clockwise, you can see he's got the weather, his project status overview, today's tasks, a calendar, iTunes, and system information up, which automatically updates in the background. Just so happens this setup is very similar to my own. Lucas explains how he wound up with this good-looking display:

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The Office Made of Cardboard

Creative agency Nothing in Amsterdam wanted to make their entire office a "blank slate" so they built it out of cardboard. The desks, chairs, shelves, cubicles, and from the photos, even steps and a small loft is constructed entirely of brown cardboard, which invites lots of cool drawings. The Nothing web site explains:

The idea being, to create an office that will turn our clients into brand advocates, by using the most Nothing-building material we could find. At the same time, have the walls double as a blank canvas, on which people can leave their mark.

Here are a few photos of the cubicles and cool drawings:

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The Netbook Models You Love (And Don’t)

Cheap and tiny netbook computers are so very tempting in this crappy economy, since they promise the full computing experience in a compact, throw-in-your-messenger-bag package for less than $400. The idea of a netbook got under my skin because I want a light computer for traveling that can live in the kitchen and living room for cooking and couch-surfing when I'm home. In the throes of my netbook lust, recently I asked my Twitter followers if they had a netbook and if it was worth it. That tweet drew a whopping 243 passionate replies.

Most people said they LOVED! LOVED! LOVED! their netbook, and many said they make great gifts for teens, parents, and spouses who don't need a beefy system. Some complained about the tiny keyboard and screen, short battery life, and lack of performance. Of all the netbook owners who identified which models they owned (77), the ASUS Eee PC was the most popular (33 owners), followed by the Acer Aspire (17), then the Dell Mini 9 (9) and Samsung NC10 (8). Here's the full breakdown, in pretty colors--green for pros, and red for cons.

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